C. F. Martin 0-28 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1890, made in Nazareth, PA, natural varnish finish, Brazilian rosewood back and sides; spruce top, cedar neck with ebony fingerboard, period black coffin case.
This is a very nice playing and sounding late 19th century Martin Style 0-28, a survivor from America's first Gilded Age fully playable in the 21st century. It resides in a period Martin coffin case labeled for a style 0-30 but the guitar itself appears to be a style 0-28, one of the company's popular offerings in the 19th century that survived in the line well into the 20th. This was a high-mid-line model listing in the late 19th century around $60; Martins were NEVER cheap! Although the size "0" is considered a small guitar today, before the 1860s it was the largest standard size Martin made and the company generally recommended it as the best instrument for "soloists" well into the 20th century. This one shows some wear but survives in largely original condition.
In both the 19th and 20th century "Style 28" always designates a guitar with a rosewood body. The 0-28 is ornamented with a the classic herringbone wood trim around the top edge with ivory outer binding and 3-ply trim on the back. The Brazilian rosewood body has some interesting grain figure, the red spruce top is very delicately X braced with elaborate scalloping to the main brace legs and a single tone bar behind. The bridgeplate is a small maple piece under the traditional pyramid-end ebony bridge. "C.F. Martin & Co, New York" is stamped on the backstrip and the heelblock (upside down) With "C.F. Martin" on the back of the headstock.
The neck is cedar, carved to a medium/soft "V" profile, topped with an unbound ebony fingerboard. This has traditional Martin bar frets and three small pearl position markers that may be original; by the 1890s Martin was getting special orders for fretboard markers although they were not standard until the end of the century. These are three distinct delicate shapes at the 5, 7th and 9th frets, positioned just above the fret not in the center, consistent with the earliest Martin inlays. It is quite possible these were added to the guitar after construction but they appear period at least. The slotted headstock is faced in rosewood and equipped with beautiful Seidel tuning machines with engraved baseplates and bone or ivory buttons typical of the 1880-90s. There are bone strap buttons on the back of the headstock and the standard spot at the base of the body.
Martins from this period have no serial numbers and this one does not show any definite internal dating; there are no pencil marks under the top. This guitar resides in a period (possibly slightly older) coffin case with the Martin label intact under the lid indicating it originally contained an 0-30; it is impossible to say how long these pieces have been together. Recent research by Grieg Hutton dates this particular style of label to between 1875-1886, which dates the case at least; the guitar is likely slightly later. Despite this mismatch and some older repair this is still a fine playing and lovely sounding instrument, a testament to the quality of work done in Nazareth well over a century ago. Like all Martins from this era it is suited to gut or nylon strings ONLY.
Overall length is 38 1/8 in. (96.8 cm.), 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
Over a century-and-a-quarter this delicate instrument has survived still singing with a lovely voice. The original very thin finish appears intact, rubbed away in some spots with dings, dents and scratches overall. The top has pickwear into the wood in front of the bridge forward of either wing, with later amateur topical overfinish over just the upper section. The neck has feelable capo dings along the spine from the first down to the fourth fret with another smaller one at the sixth. Apart from these the original varnish survives with only light worn away spots on the edges.
The headstock has a very old repair visible both front and back, less serious damage on this than later Martins as in this period the pegheads were separate pieces of wood spliced on. The split runs along the diamond splice lines on the back and through the rosewood veneer on the face a bit above the nut. The repair is ancient, visible but solid and not causing any further issues.
The top and back rather amazingly have no crack repairs, there is one long grain split on the lower side sealed but not cleated, polished on the outside with some finish loss around it, solid but quite visible. If the neck was ever reset it was a very neat job and not really visible. The original ebony bridge is intact; the bone saddle looks newer or at least reworked. The maple bridgeplate is original and completely intact as are the incredibly delicate original braces showing possibly a bit of re-gluing involved long ago. The original bar frets have been recrowned and show no subsequent wear.
This guitar still plays very well and sounds just lovely, with an amazingly rich tone for such a small instrument. Like all Martins of this period, it is NOT suited for steel stringing and is strung with genuine gut. The black coffin case it resides in is battered but intact, it shows external wear but remains solid but with only one latch working, and that historic but apparently mismatched label under the lid. Overall Very Good + Condition.
